No cricket fanatic in the world can claim to be unaware of the current India captain's name. Born and brought up in the Indian capital city of New Delhi, Kohli emerged on the international radar after leading India to the title win at the ICC U19 World Cup in 2008. However, Kohli didn't exactly announce himself at the highest level till 2012 - four years after his debut - when in Australia he hit his maiden Test century (116) in Adelaide. By the end of that tour Kohli had also shown the world just how good a batsman he could become when his 86-ball-133 helped India chase down a mammoth 330 in less than 40 overs against Sri Lanka in the triangular series. Since then he hasn't looked back and has grown from strength to strength by proving his prowess all over the world. Having hit centuries on tough away tours Kohli improved his shorter format game several notches especially with the help of the IPL, where in 2016 he smacked a record 973 runs! A established chaser of totals, he has hundreds in all Test playing nations - except Bangladesh and Zimbabwe - where he has played just a single match. He is also a World Cup winner(2011) and was adjuged the Player of the Tournament at the 2014 ICC World T20. Being counted amongst the four great batsmen of the modern age along with Steven Smith, Kane Williamson and Joe Root, Kohli's meteoric rise over the past couple of years has seen him rise above everyone else in the art of batting. He is the only batsman yet to average more than 48 in all formats of the game and after his exploits in England in the summer of 2018, he has proved that he is the best batsman across the globe under any given conditions. For his exploits on the field he has also been awarded the country's highest sports honour - Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award in 2018. But with the accolades there also have been questions regarding team selection and his aggressive mindset resulting in failures to win tough series overseas. The fact remains though that just like his runs, there are many more Indian victories to come under his leadership and only time will tell how great a legacy Captain Kohli will leave behind. But regarding his batting skills, it's safe to assume that the debate has been settled for now. There is only one Kohli and he sits right at the top.
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The refurbished stadium, the largest cricketing arena in the world, doesn't have the traditional floodlight towers but a ring of LED lights around the perimeter of its roof.
Visitors England have made four changes to their Playing XI, revealed skipper Joe Root.
Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma who recently welcomed her first child, a baby girl with husband Virat Kohli on Tuesday took to her Instagram and poured in a heartfelt birthday wish for actress Tripti Dimri.
The refurbished Sardar Patel Stadium looks colossal under lights but the first Test match in many years would mean that even the home team wouldn't expect a lot of advantage.
The Motera game will be India's second Pink Ball Test at home. In their inaugural game, the hosts had defeated Bangladesh in just under five sessions, at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata back in November 2019
Dhoni and Kohli are currently tied with 21 wins and the latter has a chance to clinch the top spot in the next two Tests.
Kohli also doesn't see the orange seats at the stadium posing any visibility challenge for the players, whether it is while batting or fielding.
Kohli added that England, who too capitulated for 58 in their last pink ball Test against New Zealand in Auckland, also won't be affected by a one-off dismal show.
The Indian skipper also heaped praise on Ishant's longevity and pointed out how the pacer prioritised Tests instead of white-ball cricket.
Both teams have won a game each in the four-match series and ahead of the third Test here starting Wednesday, the talk has been incessantly focussed on the nature of the virgin track at the refurbished stadium.
Former India cricketer and national selector Sarandeep Singh recently made some interesting revelations about the superstar couple. He disclosed that Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma who live in Mumbai don't have any servants at home and prefer to serve their guests themselves.
A win in the Pink Ball Test will also help him equal Steve Waugh's tally of 22 wins at home which is the third-most by any Test captain
Former Indian spinner and selector Sarandeep Singh lauds the Indian skipper for being a good listener during selection meeting and a good host at home.
During an interview, Kohli conceded that he went through a tough phase during a particularly difficult tour.
The Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper expressed his happiness on the purchases that RCB made during the recently-concluded IPL 2021 auction.
Kohli had a disastrous tour of England in 2014, registering scores of 1, 8, 25, 0, 39, 28, 0,7, 6 and 20 in five Tests.
Lloyd said that had the incident happened between Kohli and umpire Menon in another sport, the Indian skipper would have been immediately sent off.
Ashwin talked to Kohli about his performance in the game, and the shift in his body-language throughout during the pandemic-induced lockdown.
India climbed to the second spot in the World Test Championship points table, inching closer to booking a berth in the final against New Zealand.
The series now moves to Ahmedabad where the third Day-Night Test will be played from February 24.
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